A Tie at the Top: Cade McCutcheon & Nathan Piper Tie for the 2026 100X Brazos Slide Open Derby Championship
Emily CareyJul 26, 2026
On July 24, Cade McCutcheon and Berry Uniquely Dunn (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Gunna Kissya) tied Nathan Piper and Shes Got Magnitude (Magnum Chic Dream x Gee Golly Whiz) with matching scores of 229 to split the 2026 100X Brazos Slide Level 4 Open Derby championship in Waco, Texas. Each pair earned more than $12,000 for the victory.
McCutcheon Returns With Berry Uniquely Dunn
For Aubrey, Texas, professional Cade McCutcheon, the win came in his first show aboard Berry Uniquely Dunn this year.
Owned by David Silva Sr., the 2020 stallion spent much of 2026 competing successfully in Silva’s non-pro string before returning to the open with McCutcheon for the Brazos Slide.
“I showed him a bunch last year and then his owner, David Silva, has been showing him all year this year,” McCutcheon said. “This is actually the first time I showed him this year.”
Cade McCutcheon and Berry Uniquely Dunn. Photo by Cody Parmenter.
Competing on NRHA Pattern 18, the pair benefited from the pattern’s additional circle maneuver, something McCutcheon believes played directly into the stallion’s strengths.
“He’s a really stylish horse,” he said. “So having an extra circle maneuver was really good for him.”
The victory pushed Berry Uniquely Dunn’s lifetime earnings beyond $115,000 while reinforcing the horse’s versatility between open and non-pro competition.
“He’s super simple in the pen,” McCutcheon said. “David gets along with him great in the non-pro and then to turn around and show the open. I mean, you can play offense the whole time and it’s a lot easier to go horse show when you’re on offense.”
The Brazos Slide also served as an important test before a potential appearance at The Run For A Million Shootout.
“With having the first half of 2026 off, this was kind of a tester to see if we thought it was worth taking him out there,” McCutcheon said.
Judging by the result, the answer appears to be yes.
A Mare of Many Talents
While McCutcheon celebrated a horse entering another major chapter, Nathan Piper was savoring one of the final derby appearances for Shes Got Magnitude.
Owned by Lisa Klaus, the 2019 mare added another marquee title to a résumé that already includes a fifth-place finish at the 2025 The Run For A Million. This latest victory pushed her lifetime earnings past $140,000.
“She’s getting of age where she’s aging out of the Derby,” Piper said. “She’s getting close to the age to be a broodmare and raise babies, so we brought her here… we just wanted to put a little more money on her.”
Nathan Piper and Shes Got Magnitude. Photo by Cody Parmenter.
She showed up and delivered the highest score Piper has ever marked aboard her.
“I was so happy,” he said. “She turned harder for me and it was really good.”
As retirement approaches, Piper admits it’s difficult to think about stepping away from a mare still performing at such a high level.
“She just keeps getting better,” he said. “I’m wishing I had another year. She has grit like one of the few that I’ve ridden.”
With the confidence gained from their 229 in Waco, the pair now turn their attention toward another run at The Run For A Million Shootout.
